Luke Donald
Height: 5 ft. 9 in
Weight: 165 lbs
Birthday: 12/07/1977
College: Northwestern University
Turned Pro: 2001
Birthplace: Hemel Hempstead, England
Country: England
Sponsor: Mizuno
Despite hailing from England, Donald was headhunted to play college golf at Northwestern University. In 1999 he captured the NCAA Division 1 Individual Championship and also beat the record score which had been set by Tiger Woods. After graduating in 2001, Donald turned pro. He attended PGA Tour Q School at the end of 2001 and subsequently captured his card for the main Tour after finishing in a tie for 23rd.
In his first event of the season, Donald finished 13th at the Sony Open. Donald only had one top 10 finish in his rookie season but it was a win. He captured his first PGA Tour title at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic by one stroke from South African Brendan Pappas. He would finish the season 58th on the money list. Between the 2004 season and 2011 season, Donald had a total of 12 runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour. This included two play-off losses, in 2004 to John Daly at the Buick Invitational and at the Heritage in 2011 to Brandt Snedeker.
Donald’s second Tour win came in 2006 at the Honda Classic where he had two shots to spare over Geoff Ogilvy. In 2011, Donald had the best season of his career. He won twice, at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship where he comprehensively defeated Martin Kaymer 3&2 in the final, and the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. He would have a total of fourteen top 10s on his way to ending the season first on the money list and as world number one. He also topped the European money list the same season, becoming the first golfer to achieve this feat.
Donald held the number one position for over 55 weeks in total. He has a total of seven European Tour wins to his name including winning the flagship BMW Championship on two occasions. Donald’s seventh and most recent PGA Tour win came in 2012. Donald has struggled since then and is currently sliding down the rankings outside the top 60. He has represented Europe in the Ryder Cup on four occasions, being part of the winning side each time.
